Foldable Sandal

ABSTRACT

A foldable sandal includes a forefoot portion that is adapted to be disposed under a front portion of a wearer&#39;s foot, a rear-foot portion that is adapted to be disposed under a rear portion of the wearer&#39;s foot, and a folding member outsole that functions as the folding member and the bottom layer of the sandal. The folding member is operatively coupled to both the forefoot portion and the rear-foot portion wherein the folding member is adapted to enable the foldable sandal to be selectively moved between an open configuration suitable for wearing and a folded configuration suitable for storage. The sandal may also have a retaining member fastened to the folding member outsole or the forefoot portion and/or the rear-foot portion to hold the sandal on the wearer&#39;s foot.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of provisional patent applicationSer. No. 61/175,873, filed 2009, May 6 by the present inventor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This application relates generally to footwear and more particularly tofolding sandals.

2. Description of the Prior Art

People often use multiple types of footwear on a daily basis. It is morecommon that a person has multiple pairs of shoes adapted for particularpurposes such as social activities, exercising, work activities, andlounging than owning one pair for all purposes. Often times the type ofshoe worn is a high heel which provides a fashionable option, but whichmay not be comfortable for more than a few hours or for long distancewalking. Many people who regularly wear high heels or other shoes withlimited comfort will carry a spare set of comfortable shoes, often beingsandals, in their personal carrying bags for convenience.

In addition, many people have a spare set of shoes for use afterexercising or sporting activities. By changing into a sandal afterexercising, the foot is allowed to breathe after sweating. Additionally,people engaging in sporting activities away from home prefer to showerbefore returning to work or other activities. Most people using commonlocker rooms and showers in gym facilities prefer to wear sandals in thelocker room and shower rather than walking bare-footed. Sandals, inaddition to their comfort and convenience, may be preferred in suchcircumstances because they promote hygiene by providing a barrierbetween the wearer and the floor. Typically, the necessary items for aperson to leave work to exercise and return to work (such as exerciseclothing, shoes, towels, personal hygiene products, and the like) fillor overfill the space in a bag.

Many people prefer to wear high heels or other fashionable shoes todances, weddings, balls, or celebrations/events, which often includedancing. In many cases high heels are removed and dancing continues inbare feet due to the discomfort caused by many fashionable shoes. Mostpeople prefer the cleanliness and comfort provided by sandals ratherthan walking or dancing in bare feet. Traditional sandals are too largeto fit into many bags carried by people to these types of events. As aresult, a more portable option is necessary.

In addition, various places of business require the use of open toedfootwear. Many spas sell sandals to clients in closed toe footwear asnormal footwear cannot be worn following a pedicure. This results in thepurchase of sandals following each visit. Foldable sandals allow peopleto more easily bring their own footwear for use after a pedicure andavoid buying new sandals following each spa visit.

Many people prefer the comfort and convenience of a sandal for everydaywear or for wear around the house. Recently, designer sandals haveexperienced great popularity and are accepted in some circumstances asformal wear. Accordingly, sandals are often packed in bags or suitcasesfor overnight trips, business travel, or vacation travel. As with gymbags or lockers, space is often very limited when packing bags orsuitcases for traveling.

In a typical sandal, the longitudinal direction (from toe to heel) isoften several times greater than the lateral direction from the medialedge to the lateral edge. This configuration often leads to difficultywhen trying to pack the sandals, particularly when trying to packsandals into small gym bags, purses, laptop bags, and carryon suitcases.The length of the sandals generally makes it difficult or impossible toclose the pocket or bag without exposing at least a portion of thesandals to the remaining items in the bag.

There is a continuing need for solutions to the overcrowding of bags,suitcases, and lockers. Specifically, the length/width/thickness ratioof conventional sandals makes conventional sandals difficult to pack insome circumstances. Additionally, the underside of sandals may beconsidered to be unsanitary or to pose increased risk of contact withdirt or bacteria from the ground, especially after being worn in publicbathrooms, locker rooms, and showers. There is a continuing need for amethod of packing or storing sandals that limits the exposure of thesole surface to other items being stored or packed. A single axis ofrotation near the middle of each sandal allows for simple manufacturingand folding. The present disclosure addresses these continuing needs.

SUMMARY

Some embodiments include a foldable sandal including a forefoot portionthat is adapted to be disposed under a front portion of a wearer's foot,a rear-foot portion that is adapted to be disposed under a rear portionof the wearer's foot, and a folding member outsole that functions as thefolding member and the bottom layer of the sandal. The folding member isoperatively coupled to both the forefoot portion and the rear-footportion wherein the folding member is adapted to enable the foldablesandal to be selectively moved between an open configuration suitablefor wearing and a folded configuration suitable for storage. The sandalmay also have a retaining member fastened to the folding member outsoleor the forefoot portion and/or the rear-foot portion to hold the sandalon the wearer's foot.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view of a foldable sandal shown in an open configurationaccording to the present description.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the sandal of FIG. 1 illustrating an example ofthe foldable sandal in an open configuration.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the sandal of FIG. 1 illustrating an exampleof the foldable sandal in an open configuration.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the sandal of FIG. 1 shown in transitionbetween an open configuration and a folded configuration.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the sandal of FIG. 1 in a folded configuration.

FIG. 6 is a top view of the sandal of FIG. 1 with the rear foot portionshown in a folded configuration.

FIG. 7 is a side view of the sandal of FIG. 1 in an open configurationwhile being worn.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A foldable sandal 9 is illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 as including afolding member outsole 15 and a retaining member 12. While the presentdescription refers to a foldable sandal, the term “sandal” should beunderstood herein to refer to any article of footwear having an upperadapted to allow the folding member outsole to fold according thepresent description. For example, the term “sandal” may refer to atraditional thong-style sandal or to a wrap-style sandal. Additionally,the term “sandal” may refer to the more contemporary variations of asandal such as those with heel retaining members and toe retainingmembers, some of which also couple the heel retaining members and thetoe retaining members together to form a sort of aerated or ventilatedshoe. Accordingly, retaining member 12 illustrated in FIG. 1 is merelyexemplary of the one or more retaining members that may operate to holdthe sandal on the wearer's foot during use. Retaining member 12 mayinclude multiple retaining members, may include straps or cords, or thelike, may include panels of material between straps or cords, and may,in some embodiments, be akin to traditional shoe uppers when adapted toallow folding member outsole 15 to fold as described herein.

With reference to FIG. 1, insole 20 includes a forefoot portion 10 and arear-foot portion 13. Forefoot portion 10 may be adapted to be disposedunder the front portion of a wearer's foot during use. Forefoot portion10 may extend rearward to a forward end region 11. Rear-foot portion 13may be adapted to be disposed under a rear portion of the wearer's footduring use. Similar to the forefoot portion, rear-foot portion 13 mayextend forwardly to a rearward end region 16. Forward end region 11 andrearward end region 16 may be disposed adjacent to each other or may bespaced from each other fully by folding member outsole 15.

Foldable member outsole 15, in addition to acting as the folding member,acts as the outsole, having a folding member outsole surface 18, thatmay be comprised of conventional materials used in the construction offootwear. For example, folding member outsole 15, and specificallyfolding member outsole surface 18, may include wear-resistant materialsadapted to endure conditions of use over a variety of terrains. Inaddition, folding member outsole surface 18, may be provided with ridgesor other features which will increase grip and prevent slipping onsmooth or wet surfaces. Insole 20, and specifically insole surface 19,may include materials adapted to provide a comfortable feel to thebottom of a wearer's foot. Additionally, insole 20, may include treatedmaterials to resist bacteria, fungi, and the like. Foldable sandal 9,may include a sole made from traditional footwear materials or from themost contemporary footwear materials used in high-performance wear,including waterproof materials.

With reference to FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 and with continuing reference to FIG.1, the transition of the foldable sandal between an open configurationand a folded configuration is illustrated. FIGS. 4 and 5 continue withthe illustration of the folding member outsole 15 acting as both thefoldable member and the outsole. Foldable sandal 9 is illustrated inFIGS. 1 and 7 in an open configuration suitable for wearing. In the openconfiguration, forefoot portion 10 and rear-foot portion 13 may providea substantially flat insole surface 19 for supporting the wearer's foot.As discussed above, insole 20 may include features or structuresdeviating from a flat surface, such as ridges, contours, or nubs.

As can be seen with reference to FIGS. 2, 4, and 5, the transition fromthe open configuration to the folded configuration is accomplished byrotating forefoot portion 10 and/or rear-foot portion 13 about the axisof rotation 21. The rotation of forefoot portion 10 and rear-footportion 13 about the axis of rotation 21, may occur in any order orsimultaneously. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the axis of rotation 21, maybe adapted to allow each sole portion to rotate substantially 90 degreesfrom the starting position in the open configuration to the foldedconfiguration. While greater or lesser rotation may be possible,rotating each of the sole portions substantially 90 degrees allows thesandal to be folded compactly, reducing the longitudinal dimension ofthe sandal for easier packing and storing. As discussed above, in someembodiments, line of articulation 21 may be disposed substantiallymidway between a forward end 22 and a rearward end 23 of folding memberoutsole 15. In such a configuration, folding sandal 9 reduces thelongitudinal dimension by about half.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate that foldable sandal 9 may be configured tofold downwardly. Folding downwardly should be understood to refer torotating the forefoot portion 10, and the rear foot portion 13, aboutthe axis of rotation 21, so that outsole surface 18 is adjacent toitself, as shown in FIG. 5. Such downward folding may help to keep dirt,bacteria, fungi, or other undesirable material that may be on theoutsole surfaces from contacting other items stored together with thesandals.

When folding member outsole 15 is adapted to be folded downwardly asillustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the cords, straps, uppers, or othermaterials comprising retaining members 12 may be adapted to allow forsuch rotation. In some embodiments, such as a wrap-style sandal wherethe retaining members only cover the toes and forefoot area, retainingmembers 12 would require little if any modification to allow downwardfolding. In other embodiments, including thong-style sandals shown inFIGS. 1-7 and other sandals where one or more retaining members 12 spansfrom forefoot portion 10 to rear-foot portion 13, retaining members 12may include elastic segments or selectively connectable segments toallow for a proper fit during use and to allow the sandal to folddownwardly for storage. For example, in an outdoor-type sandal havingheel retaining members and forefoot retaining members coupled togetherto form a ventilated upper, connectors or couplers may be provided tothe heel retaining members and the forefoot retaining members so thatthey may be coupled together during use and uncoupled when the sandal isfolded for storage. Suitable connectors or couplers include thosedevices that are traditionally used on footwear, such as buckles, snaps,hook-and-loop fasteners, and other selective coupling systems. In someembodiments, such modifications to retaining members 12 may beunnecessary. For example, retaining members 12 will have some slackbetween the insole and the retaining members to accommodate for the footof the user. Depending on the configuration of sandal 9, the retainingmembers may already be long enough to allow for the downward foldingillustrated in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6.

Although this invention has been disclosed with reference to thespecific forms and embodiments, it will be evident that a great numberof variations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention. For example, parts may be reversed, equivalent elementsmay be substituted for those specifically disclosed, and certainfeatures of the invention may be used independently of other featuresall without departing from the invention as defined in the appendedclaims.

1. A foldable sandal, comprising: a. a forefoot portion that is adaptedto be disposed under a front portion of a wearer's foot; b. a rear-footportion that is adapted to be disposed under a rear portion of thewearer's foot; and c. a folding member outsole that functions as thefolding member that is operatively coupled to both said forefoot portionand said rear-foot portion, wherein the folding member includes onedistinct axis of rotation and wherein the folding member is adapted toenable said foldable sandal to be selectively moved between an openconfiguration suitable for wearing and a folded configuration; and d. aretaining member fastened to said forefoot portion and said rear-footportion and adapted to hold the sandal on the wearer's foot.
 2. Thefoldable sandal of claim 1, wherein said forefoot portion and saidrear-foot portion each includes: an insole adapted to be disposedproximal the wearer's foot, the insole having an insole surface; saidfolding member outsole adapted to be disposed distal the wearer's foot,said folding member outsole having a folding member outsole surface; andwherein, when the sandal is moved into said folded configuration, eithersaid folding member outsole surface or the insole surfaces of saidforefoot portion and said rear-foot portion are disposed adjacent eachother.
 3. The foldable sandal of claim 1, wherein said forefoot portionincludes at least one forefoot cutout; wherein said rear-foot portionincludes at least one rear-foot cutout, wherein the forefoot cutout andthe rear-foot cutout are adapted to be at least substantially contiguouswhen the sandal is placed in said open configuration.
 4. The foldablesandal of claim 1 wherein, said folding member outsole of the sandal isa one piece uncompromised unit.
 5. The foldable sandal of claim 1wherein, said folding member sole of the sandal is a one piece unit thatmay have uniform or varying thicknesses of material that make it easierfor the said axis of rotation to move freely.
 6. The foldable sandal ofclaim 1, wherein said retaining member is either fastened to saidforefoot portion and said rear-foot portion, said folding member sole,or both.
 7. The foldable sandal of claim 1, wherein said folding membersole further includes a forward end and a rearward end, and wherein thefolding member sole defines an axis of rotation that is located betweenthe forward end and the rearward end.
 8. The foldable sandal of claim 1,wherein said retaining member is fastened to said folding member outsoleand/or said forefoot portion and/or said rear-foot portion and adaptedto hold the sandal on the wearer's foot.
 9. The foldable sandal of claim1, wherein said insole surface is formed from a cushioning material. 10.The foldable sandal of claim 1, wherein said forefoot portion and saidrear-foot portion are of varying thickness.
 11. The foldable sandal ofclaim 1, wherein said folding member outside is formed from a rubbermaterial.
 12. The foldable sandal of claim 1, where said retainingmember is made from cotton or other breathable material.